An
OpEd by
Michigan's Gov. Jennifer Granholm argues that the amendment conflicts with
"our most dearly held values," and would "deny our state the ability to compete
for jobs and economic growth in our increasingly global economy."

An
Open
Letter to Gov. Granholm from Ward Connerly argues that "the pursuit of diversity
should never be an excuse . . . to abandon the fundamental principle of equal
treatment before the law without regard to the color of a person's skin."

A
Rebuttal by
the MCRI denies the validity and legality of the Commission's Report, and
of the public hearings on which the Report was based. The Rebuttal points to the
Commission's bias against the MCRI, manifest from the beginning of the petition
campaign.

Opponents of MCRI Bring Suit in Federal District Court to Exclude the Amendment
from the Ballot. In an Evidentiary Hearing, there is testimony for the plaintiffs
that signature solicitors misrepresented the Amendment, and testimony for MCRI
that solicitors were told to stick to the language of the Amendment when describing
it. Here are Excerpts
From the Oral Transcript of that Evidentiary Hearing.

In
the Final Weeks of the Campaign, the author and co-editor of this website, Curtis
Crawford, urges MCRI to stress Two
Key Themes.

A
Concrete Example of the Issue in this Debate: The Advantage Given to Black
and Hispanic Applicants in the competition for admission to the University of
Michigan.Computed from the University's data by the Center for Equal Opportunity.

"Nobody
who was Anybody supported it; Everybody who was Anybody opposed it." Herewith,
compiled by One United Michigan, is a daunting list of Organizations and Individuals
arraigned against the Civil Rights Initiative.

Ahead
in Two Recent Polls, Behind in Two Others. Never
as Far Ahead in the Pre-Ballot Polling, as in the Actual Vote.

YES
58% NO 42%. In Michigan, November 7, 2006, VICTORY for a splendid American principle:
Non-Discrimination, FOR OR AGAINST ANYONE, based on Race, Sex, or National Origin.
Complete
Returns, showing the Numbers and Percentages of Yes & No Votes for Each County.

"Diversity Matters at
Michigan," an Address
by President Mary Sue Coleman of the University of Michigan to the University
community, on the day after Michigan voters adopted the Michigan Civil Rights
Initiative.

"Two
Puzzles," An
Essay
by Curtis Crawford, January 2007: The
MCRI amendment to Michigan's constitution bans state discrimination, based on
race or national origin. But such discrimination was already banned. PUZZLE
1: Why did MCRI fight to prohibit what was already forbidden? PUZZLE 2: Since
the prior bans haven't blocked affirmative action programs, why did supporters
of such programs fear the amendment? Both puzzles have reasonable, though
unexpected, solutions.